Mar 31 US Women's Soccer Team Files Wage Discrimination Lawsuit

Looking to end what they deem as discriminatory and unfair treatment, five members of the US women’s national soccer team have filed on behalf of the entire team a wage discrimination action against the US soccer federation with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Citing figures from the US Soccer Federation’s 2015 financial report, the women’s team generated almost $20 million more revenue than the men’s team, while the men were paid nearly four times more than the women athletes.

In early January, the Women’s national Team Players Association submitted a proposal for a new collective bargaining agreement to the US Soccer Federation with equal pay for equal work as its driving measure. The federation responded by suing the players, essentially keeping in place the discriminatory treatment.

The federation issued a statement saying it is committed to and engaged in negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement that addresses compensation with the US women’s national team, but only when the current agreement expires at the end of this year.

US men’s soccer players have spoken up in support of the women’s team and their equality. The US Women’s soccer team is currently training for this summer’s Olympics in Brazil.